Vietnam eases COVID-19 restrictions

Vietnam plans to relax restrictions related to the coronavirus and allow companies to resume production from next week to boost the economy that has suffered from the long lockdowns, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on Saturday.

The country, which had one of the best containment records in the world by late April, is now trying to coexist with the virus instead of pursuing a COVID-zero policy.

The current outbreak of the virus and associated restrictions on freedom of movement have adversely affected the country's manufacturing-centric economy, forcing some factories to close.

"Around September 30th, safe places can ease COVID restrictions and revitalize business and social activities," Chinh said at a government meeting.

"Fighting the pandemic is not just about putting physical barriers and restraints in place," he said, adding that the pandemic is more or less under control.

The decision comes at a time when Vietnam is seeing a decline in the daily death toll from the virus. 9,682 new cases were reported on Saturday, bringing the infection rate below 10,000 for the third day in a row. In total, the country has recorded over 746,600 cases with 18,400 fatalities.

Foreign investors in Vietnam have warned the government that strict lockdown regulations in the south of the country have forced some companies to relocate production to other regions.

Vietnamese gross domestic product could grow between 3.5% and 4.0% this year, well below the government’s previous target of 6.5%, said Vietnam’s Minister of Planning and Investment, Nguyen Chi Dung, from state media quoted.

Vietnam, with a population of 98 million people, is accelerating its vaccination program. Although the number of daily vaccinations has reached 700,000, the vaccination rate of 7.61% is one of the lowest in the region.